The car industry in India really seems to be booming. With the industry’s high end luxury brands names like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Bentley and Rolls Royce setting shop in the country these super luxury cars are not so rare on Indian roads anymore.
Gone are the days where we used to ogle at a Mercedes E Class that used to drive by. The luxury cars of yesterday have made way for the Super Luxury cars of today. With price tags more than what an average Indian would spend on a home or two, these are definitely for the elite. For those like me, where these luxuries are what dreams are made of, we can only dream on and keep the hope alive!
1) Mercedes-Benz Maybach
With the Maybach, Mercedes has managed to create a brand and car that outshone in both price and prestige, their own brand of Mercedes cars that once stood as the epitome of luxury. The numbers of its owners in India are in single digits…that’s how exclusive it is!
Two different versions of the Maybach are offered: the 57 and the 62. The numbers refer to the car’s length in meters (5.7 and 6.2). Each Maybach is built to order. With a wide-range selection of standard and optional equipment, there are over two million different ways in which Maybach customers can personalize the design and fittings of their high-end luxury saloon.
Inside, opulence takes center stage. Every single surface is high-grade leather, wood, chrome or some other soft-touch material. Comfy as it is to sit up front, the best place to sit in a Maybach 57 is the backseat. It’s a twin-bucket arrangement with a console in between that houses a DVD player, a separate CD changer for use in the back and even a refrigerated compartment to keep cold refreshments at the ready. Each rear seat offers a wide range of adjustments. A soft Nubuck-upholstered (and feather stuffed) pillow is attached to the front of each head restraint, and leaning back upon it is sure to relax even the most uptight passenger.
Price Range: Rs. 5,50,00,000 Too many zeros? that’s Rs. 5.5 Crores
Maybach on youtube
2) Bentley Azure
The England-based car maker Bentley rolled out two convertibles since its entry into India in 2003. The Azure two-seater coupe is for kings and oil magnates. Bentley has restricted the sales number to maintain exclusivity.
With a starting price for more than a few Crores, the Bentley Azure is surely for the super rich of India.
With a 5.9-litre engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, the car generates an amazing 552 hp and can touch an estimated top speed of 317 km/h. Bentley has every right to call its upcoming Azure “the worlds most elegant four-seater convertible”.
Price Range: Rs. 3,50,00,000 that’s Rs. 3.5 Crores
Bentley Azure on youtube
3) Rolls Royce Phantom
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars came back to India, after a gap of 50 years, with its launch of the Phantom super luxury sedan. When one first sees the Phantom in real life, and not in a magazine or as a grainy Web image, the likely first impression is, “Wow, that thing is big.”
At over 19 feet long, the Phantom handily beats a BMW 760Li by more than 2 feet in total length, and it can completely swallow a Mini between its front and rear axles. Moving down the road, the Phantom definitely leaves a wake of gawking motorists. Rolls Royce Phantom has a 6.75-litre V-12 engine that generates a massive 453 bhp.
Price Range: Rs. 3,50,00,000 that’s Rs. 3.5 Crores
Rolls-Royce on YouTube
4) Lamborghini Murcielago
There are a few automobile brands that are so steeped in history, glamour, and awe-inspiring technology that hyperbole’s come naturally when we talk about them.
The ultimate ‘Raging Bull’, the Lamborghini Murcielago is being offered in India with a 6.5-litre, 12-cylinder, engine generating a peak power of 631 bhp at 8,000 rpm. It can touch an estimated top speed of 340 km and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in just 3.4 seconds.
Price Range: Rs. 3,00,00,000 that’s Rs.3 Crores
5) Bentley Arnage
In a world of designer flamboyance, the Arnage is meticulously handcrafted and imparts a sense of occasion every time you step into it.
It is one of the fastest cars in India with an estimated top speed of 250 km/h.
It is powered by a 400 bhp, 6.7-litre V-8 turbocharged engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. It is available only as a rear-wheel-drive model in India. The Bentley Arnage is mainly about exclusivity and the thrill of owning an old-world automobile.
Price Range: Rs. 2,75,00,000 that’s Rs.2.25 Crores
Bentley Arnage on YouTube
6) Bentley Continental Flying Spur
There are luxury sedans and there are super luxury sedans. For those consumers who have been through regular luxury sedan ownership (if owning a Jaguar XJ can be considered regular) and have subsequently achieved enough financial success that they are ready to move up, a new vehicle awaits: the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
It is Bentley’s big car. Big power output, big price tag, and a bigger garage needed too cosset this luxury coupe.
It is available as a four-wheel-drive and powered by a 553 bhp 5.9-litre turbocharged engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission. It can travel at a maximum estimated speed of 312 km/hr going from 0 to 100 km in 4.9 seconds.
Price Range: Rs. 2,00,00,000 that’s Rs.2 Crores
Bentley Continental on YouTube
7) Porsche Carrera GT
The Porsche Carrera is a real sports car. The timeless 911 silhouette has become a design classic. Its ultra-low road clearance makes it impractical for our roads. It’s too fast for our traffic, but you will still want it.
It runs on 93-octane petrol that’s available only in Delhi and Mumbai. The uncompromising 603 hp, V-10 powered two-seater aims to establish a standard of performance beyond the reach of today’s super car elite. If you accept Porsche’s early claims, the Carrera GT is estimated to scorch its way to 100 km/h in less than four seconds, reach 192 km/h in less than 10 seconds, and break the magic 330 km/h barrier flat out in sixth gear.
Price Range: Rs. 1,75,00,000 that’s Rs.1.75 Crores
Porsche Carrera GT
Mercedes S-Class
A simply brilliant car is all you can say about this Merc. The S-Class has been the choice of kings, statesmen, and business tycoons in India for decades. It is loaded with technology and every possible comfort and safety feature available.
The new S-Class saloon continues to reflect the Mercedes tradition of understated elegance, being universally attractive and yet managing to infuse far more excitement into its overall design theme. The S-Class comes with a 3.5-litre V-6 petrol engine that churns out 272 bhp and a 5.5L V-8 petrol engine that generates 388 bhp. A 7-speed automatic transmission is standard.
Price Range: Rs. 77,00,000 that’s Rs.77 Lakh upward
Mercedes Benz S- class
9) BMW 7 Series
As BMW’s flagship sedan, the 7 Series offers supreme levels of luxury and performance. Once you step up to the super-luxury sedan segment, you expect prospective cars to amaze you with their fabulous levels of luxury and safety, and the 7 Series shows just that.
Easily one of the best cars in its class for driver involvement, the steering is light and direct, the acceleration never anything less than ample. With a new-look grille and a lower and wider bonnet, the 7 Series takes some of its styling inspiration from the sensational CS concept. The 7 Series in India comes with a 231 bhp, 3.0-litre Inline-6 diesel engine and three petrol engine options: a 4.0L V-8 that delivers 306 bhp, a 4.8L V-8 that produces 367 bhp, and a 6.0L V-12 that generates 445 bhp. A 6-speed automatic transmission is standard across all variants.
Price Range: Rs. 75,00,000 that’s Rs.75 Lakh upward
10) Audi A8
The Audi A8 3.0 TDI is a serious contender against the Mercedes S Class. The A8 is available in three variants. Audi added a new sporting dimension in the luxury segment with its compelling handling, pioneering technology, and exclusive design and equipment. This sedan redefines the notion of sports appeal in the luxury segment.
The 3.0-litre Turbo diesel V-6 engine produces 228 bhp. The 4.2-litre V-8 engine generates 345 bhp. The 6.0L W-12 engine delivers 450 bhp. All engines are coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission with all-wheel-drive configuration.
Price Range: Rs. 70,00,000 that’s Rs.70 Lakh upward
and Kindle Touch
, along with Kindle Keyboard
or the re-branded Kindle 3, it’s obvious that Amazon is eying to dominate the chart for standalone e-book reader. And today, we’ll be featuring the reviews of Kindle Touch, Amazon’s entry on touchscreen e-ink devices which has been already crowded with Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Kobo and Sony. If you’ll be asking why Amazon have just entered it touchscreen e-ink, according to the company, it was “waiting to get touch right.” So the big question right now, is the wait for this device worthy or not? Can it dethrone Nook Simple Touch as the best dedicated e-book reader? We got some reviews after the break, check it out.
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